Essential Communication 2e Student Resources is no longer available and it was replaced by Essential Communication 3e.
Chapter 1 Communication Takeaways
Communication: What and Why
Communication is...
- Symbolic
- A process
- Irreversible
- Relational, not individual
Models of Communication
- Linear Model
- A sender encodes ideas and conveys them to a receiver who decodes them.
- Messages are conveyed via channels, either face-to-face or mediated.
- Three types of noise can disrupt communication—external (outside of a person), physiological (biological factors within a person), and pyschological (thoughts and feelings).
- Environment includes physical location, personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and more.
- Transactional Model
- We send and receive messages simultaneously.
- Feedback is a receiver's perceptible response to a message.
- Feedback may be intentional or unintentional.
Communication Contexts
- Intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself.
- Dyadic communication involves two persons interacting, whether or not it is interpersonal.
- In small group communication, every person can participate actively with the other members.
- People engage in organizational communication when they collectively work to achieve goals.
- Public communication occurs when a group is too large for all members to contribute, as when an audience listens to a lecture.
- Mass communication consists of messages that are transmitted to large, widespread audiences via electronic and print media.
Unique Context of Social Media
- Audience size varies vastly.
- Users generate their own content.
- Networks are highly diverse.
5 Tips for Using Social Media Well
- Choose the best medium.
- Think before you post.
- Adapt to the audience.
- Respect others' need for undivided attention.
- Keep your cool.
Communication Competence
- We use communication to achieve goals in a manner that, ideally, maintains or enhances the relationship in which it occurs.
- There is no ''ideal'' way to communicate.
- Competence is situational.
- Competence is relational.
- Competence can be learned.
- Competent communicators are flexible.
- Competent communicators are empathic.
- Competent communicators are cognitively complex.
- COmpetent communicators self-monitor.
- Competent communicators are committed.
Myths about Communication
- Communication requires complete understanding.
- Communication can solve all problems.
- Communication is good.
- Meanings are in words.
- Communication is simple.
- More communication is always better.